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Ever wonder where our society sits within that diagram? I get the feeling that we are probably somewhere south of SD... at least here in Australia. While the importance of the environment is obviously a key issue with rallys being conducted on climate issues around the country, the fact remains that Australia has one of the highest environmental footprints in the world. Australians have huge disposable incomes and how do we chose to spend it? Buying things... stimulating the economy to make our lives easier with the occasional token gesture regarding environmental protection. Sound about right?

Everybody has different points of view on what is important to them. Discussing these viewpoints empowers individuals and makes them feel like the have a voice. This increase the participants confidence and makes them feel that they can make a difference and effect change. The world isn't such a big scary place after all. Other people share my opinion too.

Participation within a community is beneficial to all residents as it is specific to where they live and who they are.

Personally, I've never really had much input into any decisions regarding my local community further than voting in elections. I enjoy following politics and in recent years I've been feeling a growing urge to participate more in deciding how the society I live in is managed. I think that the best place to start this would be at a local level. I guess the lower the level, the less number of people making up that community therefore the greater percentage of power I have. The more power i have - the more chance i have of being heard...

Public participation empowers the people...

By transferring responsibility to the community individuals can be actively involved in deciding their future.

Facilitators and project managers can gain insider knowledge into the community and what is important to them...

Harness the communities human capital, knowledge and skills.

This in turn can reduce the associated relating to running a sustainability project.

There are many tools that can be used to engage people and increase participation in an education for sustainable development program...

Tools to engage people

Partnerships are an important component in educating people in sustainability. Partnerships enable those with the capacity and resources to help with education for sustainability team up with those with the power to help implement change within stakeholder groups, communties, organisations and countries.

This is known as...

However, be careful who you partner with...

"By sharing learning experiences it is possible to accelerate change towards sustainable development"

- D. Tilbury.

was actually imagining something more like this...

Expert knowledge should be used to guide individuals as to what is possible, not to decide on their future. Sometimes it is necessary to draw attention to less favourable futures to demonstrate the importantance of working towards a more sustainable future.

Envisioning your future can in itself be considered a values clarification tool. The process of envisioning your future requires you to focus on what elements of your life are most important to you now and in the future.

By working together and determining a common future in a collaborative process, people are empowered to act within their own lives to drive the required change. By having this clear sense of future it makes an overwhelming concept easier to approach. It enables groups of people to come together and develop action plans on how they can achieve their common goals.

Teach someone the answer to a problem and they will remember know how to solve a problem.

Teach someone how to think critically and they will be equipped to tackle a multitude of different problems and situations...

In this consumption driven society, it is often easy to forget where, the products that are so readily available to us, actually come from; what is involved in getting them to us; and what will happen to them once we are finished with them.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt regarding running a workshop is the importance of planning. It is probably difficult to fully appreciate the importance of a well planned and designed program until you have been involved in one that wasn't. It can be extremely frustrating and embarrassing when things haven't been planned or designed to a suitable extent, and as the saying goes, if something can go wrong it will so its important to make sure you plan for it.

A well planned program will also instill a level of confidence and legitimacy in the program which will help secure partnerships, funding, and in being taken seriously.

Basis for

Which require

that enable

which creates

Ultimately leading to

Case Study: New proposed town development adjacent to an existing developement looking to correct some of the issues resulting from the last development.

Malthusian economics shows that we cannot achieve infinite growth in a finite system without some form of catastrophic event to stabilise the system. While it cannot be predicted how this catastrphy will occur, it is clear that the results would be devastating to mankind and it is not a theory we want to test.

We are currently at a pivotal junction in our planets history, where human are living unsustainably beyond their means, and if action is not taken to correct this, then the results will be disastrous.

Driving change to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle must occur throughout all levels of our society, we cannot simply rely on a top down approach and leave our politicians and scientists to ‘figure it out’. It is becoming increasingly clear that they are incapable at achieving this. Change must also be driven at a grass roots level. Everyday citizens must rally to the banner and fight for our planets future.

It was once said that education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. These words couldn’t be closer to the truth. The message of moving towards sustainable development must be heard and the burden is on everyone to push this message forwards through education. The ignorant will remain ignorant for as long as they are not provided with the opportunity to learn. There is no longer an excuse for standing idly by and waiting for someone to make a greater change. There is no time for this way of thinking.

Education for Sustainable Development is a model which has the potential to change the course of history. The fundamental principles of EfSD equips us with that which we need to achieve environmental outcomes while educating people, empowering people and building confidence and capacity, forging partnerships and changing the way people look at the world.

There is a long road ahead of us and it is an uncertain road but nonetheless a road we must travel. Education for Sustainable Development is in its relative infancy and it’s essential we must keep on moving forward until it penetrates all corners of our world, one step at a time.

References:

  • Mog, J.M. (2004) Struggling with Sustainability – A comparative framework for evaluating Sustainable Development programs. World Development 32: 12 (pg: 2139 – 2160)
  • Tilbury, D. and Cooke, K. (2005) A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Framework for Sustainability – Key Findings. Canberra: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES)
  • Tilbury, D., and Janousek, S. (2006) Development of a National Approach to Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting on the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: Summarising Documented Experiences on the Development of ESD Indicators and Networking with Expert Groups on ESD Indicators. Sydney: Australian Research Institute of Education for Sustainability and Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources.
  • Tilbury, D. and Ross, K. (2005) Living Change: Documenting good practice in Education for Sustainability in NSW. Macquarie University, Sydney and the Nature Conservation Council, NSW.
  • Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. (2004) Engaging People in Sustainability. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: Commission on Education andCommunication, IUCN.
  • UN (2002) World Summit for Sustainable Development: Implementation Plan. Johannesburg: United Nations
  • UNCED (1992) Agenda 21: Programme of Action for Sustainable Development: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Rio de
  • Janeiro, Brazil: UNCED
  • UNESCO (2002a) Education for Sustainability: From Rio to Johannesburg: Lessons learnt from a decade of commitment. Report presented at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. Paris: UNESCO

Reducing things to their constituent parts can teach us important things, but we also need to study how they function as a whole, and do justice to their emergent properties. Reductionism can be deadly – for frogs, at least.

By breaking down complex issues down into single problems, we can then use problem solving to determine a single answer. This single answer may address one symptom of the issue but it doesn’t solve the problem. Sometimes it can even exacerbate the problem further.

Reductionist education

Traditionally education systems have emphasised the importance of learning by categorising and breaking topics down into smaller and more manageable component and studying them until individuals can be considered an expert in that field. This is known as a reductionist approach to learning. This is the common paradigm throughout western education systems, especially within higher education systems where new specialist degrees are emerging every year.

It is essential to also focus in the relationship between each specialty so that we can see linkages and determine how each of these components reacts and interacts within a system. Without maintaining a clear view of the bigger picture and focusing on the linkages between components, we can leave ourselves open to many issues which at best include inefficiency and wastage.

Systemic Thinking

Actions

What are the likely/proposed/hoped actions that will occur as a result of the program? How will these be developed and recorded? Will an Action Plan be developed as a part of the program?

Inputs

Inputs refer to the ideas and material contributing to the program. How is the program going to generate inputs? How are the inputs going to be managed?

Reductionism and holism are like the microscope and the telescope. Two powerful instruments to explore the world, one revealing the smallest constituents of what makes up the world, while the other makes us aware of the cosmic grandeur, and of the unity behind the diversity. But this does not mean that truth depends on one’s perspective, rather that both reductionism and holism enrich our understanding and appreciation of a situation, each in its own way.

“There are hunderds of thousands of synthetic chemicals in use today. Only a handful have been tested for health impacts and none have been tested for synergistic health impacts. “

- Story of Stuff

Outputs

Outputs are the specific achievements and products of the program. This could include the development of a document or an awareness campaign. The outputs are sometimes linked to the goals and objectives of the program.

Evaluation -

Telescope vs microscope

Remember it is essential to complete some form of evaluation at the completion of the program and to critically relfect on how the program was run. This should be a formal process which is documented.

As part of Assignment One i was asked to complete a critical reflection on the workshop our group had run. I found that the whole process was invaluable. While I knew there were some major flaws in our program, it was really worthwhile sitting down and critically reflecting on the program to determine exactly what these are and how these issues could be avoided in the future. While it is unlikely i will be running the workshop again any time soon, there is no doubt in my mind that the lessons I learnt can be applied to a multitude of different circumstances.

Goals and Objectives

More specific than the vision. What are the key actions and outputs that you hope the program is aiming to meet? Are there any key milestones to measures whether the project is on track.

Design

Outcomes

Outcomes refer to long term changes that occur as a result of the program. This could include changes to an individual or communities behavior towards an aspect of sustainability. The outcomes are ideally linked to the vision of the program.

Future Thinking

The people from the neighbouting community envisioned how the new development could rectify all the issues associated with the original one.

The existing community has numerous complaints and greviences regarding the local area. The developer provided them with houses but the associated infrastructure was not included..

Vision

Current Situation

Partnerships and Power

The vision refers to the key reason the program exists. What is the program trying to achieve overall?

Partnering and collaborating with major stakeholder groups such as Transport for New South Wales and Department of Planning was essential to ensuring issues such as access to public transport were addressed.

Are aware of their own biases

concluding remarks...

Participation - Planning for Real

Open to changing their opinion following new information

Strategic questioning is a crucial part of critical thinking and refers to asking questions that reveals hidden or previously unexplored information. Strategic questioning emphasises the importance of questioning but also listening and reflecting on answers provided.

The results of strategic question can have dramatic influences on the views of the listener as they absorb new information as well as the person answering the question as they are forced to clarify their values.

Strategic questions should try to avoid ‘Why’ as it forces the respondant to defend a position they previously held.

A strategic question should be open and shouldn’t limit potential outcomes. It should be phrased to allow the respondent to respond to the question in any direction.

Strategic questions can be empowering. A good strategic question can turn a rival into a co-creater for a solution e.g. “Mr Abbot, what would it take for you to agree with a price on carbon?”.

Community actively participated during the planning stages of the new development through a 'Planning for Real' workshop.

Ask relevant questions

Critical Thinkers...

formulate well-reasoned arguments

Reserve judgement until they have all the facts

For a while anyway... until they forget.

Individuals are exposed to a constant stream of information. This information comes from a huge number of different sources and many of these sources have definite agendas and bias. A perfect example of this is advertising and marketing. It is up to us to filter this information and see any hidden messages. In order to help us achieve this, we must use critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking in education for sustainable development....

Critical thinking must be encouraged and applied to education for sustainable development. A good opportunity to progress critical thinking is during workshops and group activities. Critical thinking can be completed individually but in many cases it is good to engage in dialogue as it can spur on inspiration as well as providing insight into different perspectives that may not have been considered.

Critical thinking doesn't just mean being critical of an issue. Critical thinking means asking questions, gathering information, dissecting it and seeing filtering out any hidden agendas and then making an informed decision on an issue. Critical thinking is an important life skill but is also an important education tool as it encourages people to push the boundaries and possibilities and not just accept what their told.

Critical thinking is not an easy concept to implement into everyday life. Since beginning GSE827, I've tried to think critically more often in my everyday life. Honestly, I am constantly forgetting to think critically. It isn't easy and I need constant reminding to stop and ignore that voice in my head that already has a developed position on a particular issue. On the occasions that I HAVE remembered to think critically I have felt that I have gained greater insight into the issue by looking at different perspectives, asking critical questions and being open to changing my mind on an issue. I am going to keep on trying to think more critically cos I recognise the value in it. I urge others to do the sam.e

Education for Sustainable Development

Participation is not only important for empowering individuals, it's also important for future generations. Future generations will look to those before them for answers and hopefully by having empowered, passionate and sustainable communities we will encourage that positive attitude.

Participation allows people from all walks of life to discuss their concerns, values and solutions with others which opens up discussion among the community.

Don't get me wrong, participation can be a scary concept. Remember that feeling of fear when the teacher singled you out and asked you a direct question? You weren't sure of the answer and everyone was looking at you and you wished you would just disappear? All you wanted to do was sit in the class quietly, listen and take notes? And here you are, about to make a fool of yourself in front of your entire class.

Well thankfully, while participation is encouraged in EfSD, it's not the scary kind like that described above. EfSD recognises that everyone 'knows things about stuff' and we can all learn from each other. There isn't a focus on right and wrong answers so we aren't going to embarrass ourselves. The facilitator guides the process and prompts people to participate and share their knowledge and experiences.

Education FOR not ABOUT sustainable development.

Educating the community allows us to understand the consequences of our decisions and actions

Sustainability should aim to improve the quality of life for all. There is no destination called sustainable and the journey will be different for everyone however we should always be looking for ways to improve.

Environment

S.D.

Economy

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development is about finding a balance between the environment, society and the economy. It recognises that any impacts on any one of these aspects will affect the other two.

Part c pation

Society

Educating individuals with different beliefs, values, opinions helps to increase more confident and empowered people working towards sustainable solutions. Education is allowing learners to work toward action, rather than just being told what to do.

Back when I was a kid, the education seemed a simpler concept. There was information that was taught to us by the teacher which we memorised and the person with the best memory who was able to reproduce what the teacher had said won.

In many respects this is still the case, however since beginning this degree I've had my eyes opened to a new way of learning. A way of learning called Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD). This system of learning doesn't sound as simple as the old days of memorise and reproduce, but there is now little doubt in my mind that the key principles of EfSD make this system a superior way of learnign.

EfSD is a way to encourage people to engage in a new way thinking, seeing and acting differently about the environment. We are transforming the learners into decision makers ready to take action on sustainability. We are transforming teachers to facilitators, guiding the learning process. We are reflecting, building partnerships and thinking critically about sustainability. Empowering individuals is where the process for change begins.

One way to improve is through education...

an essential part of EfSD

A successful Education for Sustainable Development program must emphasise the importance of and include elements of:

World Cafe

- Participants take turns in discussing a topic of interest to them.

- Everyone is an expert in their own topic and people can learn from them.

- Individuals are empowered an actively participate

Parish Maps

- Develops a map of peoples relationship with a place or topic

- What do you value in your place? You're the expert since it's your personal opinion

- Information is gathered and people come together to build the map.

- Participation is encouraged and essential for success.

- Maps are made in the groups chosen media.

- Participation and collaboration

- Future thinking and visioning

- Critical thinking and reflection

- Partnerships and power

- Good design and plannng

- Cross-culture communication

- Multi-stakeholder dialogue

In Australia, we have one of the largest environmental footprints in the world. It is clear to me that while there are people who live within their means, the vast majority of us lead lavish lifestyles, spending vast amounts of money on the consumption of goods and leaving the Environment to pick up the remainder of our bill.

Citizen Jury

- People selected at random to form a jury.

- Jurors cross question expert witnesses and collectively produce a summary.

- Process is overseen by a 'judge' (panel of people) wh decides whether to act on the issue.

Planning for real

- Participants develop a 3d model of the current situation. Working together this promotes participation.

- The model is then used as a tool to help the community or group identify what needs improving. This utilises expert knowledge.

- A non-confrontational atmosphere is promoted.

The past actions of humans have impacted on the worlds environment significantly. These anthropogenic impacts have led to extinctions, the destruction of ecosystems and habitats, pollution and changing climate.

We cannot change what has happened in the past however it is up to us to make sure that future generations are afforded the opportunities what we were.

It is important that facilitators engage individuals in a manner that enables presents them with a wide range of possibilities and that they are allowed to determine what is important to them.

"The future is already here... it's just not evenly distributed..."

- William Gibson

Future Thinking

"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today"

- Malcolm X

For instance, I have the power to switch my energy provider to one which uses renewable energy...

envisioning your future...

Before we can achieve a better future we have to envision it. It is important to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve before you start out, otherwise you won't be able to tell if you are making progress. The importance of planning cannot be understated. There are many strategies for envisioning a future.

The Boulding/Zeigler model allows groups of people to imagine a future, then teams up people with similar futures to focus and clarify their future. This method incorporates many of the overriding principles of education for sustainable development. It promotes values clarification, participation, collaboration, empowering individuals to engage in critical reflection.

Another approach is to simply close your eyes and focus on what your idea of a sustainable future is. To me this proved to be more tricky than it sounded. While I had always wanted to be more sustainable, I had never considered what that would look like. What did I want to achieve? Where was I heading and how would I know when I got there. To solidify and clarify this vision I attempted to draw it. I am no artist and the process, of attempting to channel those fleeting thoughts and feelings into a tangible image, was extremely difficult. Don't laugh...

Every individual, group and organisation has an inherent degree of power within itself. The amount of power will generally dictate the level of change that we can make towards a sustainable future. Even individuals like you or I have the power to make changes within our lives to have a smaller 'sustainable footprint'.

It is possible to increase the amount of power we have by forming partnerships with other individuals who have common interests. By doing this we combine our power. If you've ever been a part of a large organisation you probably know how easy it can be to feel lost, like you don't make a difference. I used to work for IBM, the multinational IT corporation, and that was a prime example. I used to work at an office away from the rest of my team, and often used to think "I wonder if anyone even knows whether I come in to work each day..."

This feeling of being a tiny cog in a massive machine can leave you feeling powerless to make a difference. Luckily by forming groups of "cogs within the machine", we increase our power. If one cog was missing the machine might still work but take out a whole bunch and you'll start to see problems.

By forming groups within your organisation you can increase your power and make management stop and listen to your ideas. This is the basic idea behind workers unions.

Partnership and P wer

Earth Charter outlines the guiding principles for creating a sustainable and equitable global community . The Earth Charter "seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family, the greater community of life, and future generations." The document outlines the core principles and values required for sustainable living. It recognises the critical path humanity is moving along and calls upon the global society to band together, form partnerships and take responsibility and prevent environmental catastrophy.

By forming partnerships with other groups that have similar interests, whether locally or internationally, it is also possible to pool resources such as education tool kits and share lessons learnt.

For instance, if you interested in developing a program educating people in remote villages on the benefits of using birth control, chances are that there are others interested in or already doing it in other parts of the world. By teaming up with them, you can pool resources and reduce the burden of establishing the program.

By Oliver Edgson

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